Robert sinclair mcbean and john wesley mcburnett



UNITED STATES YPATENT OFFICE.

lROBERT SIN CLAIR MCBEAN AND JOHN WESLEY MCBURNETT, OF COLORADO,

TEXAS.

WHIFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,665, dated October31, 1893.

Application led April 21, 1891. Renewed April-l0, 1893. Serial No,469.791. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT SINCLAIR MOBEAN and JOHN WESLEY MOBURNETT,citizens of the United States, residing at Colorado, in the county ofMitchell and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Trace-Fastenings; and We do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, andltothe letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section ofour improvement in trace fastening; Fig. 2 a perspective view of thesocket with the spring and hook removed; Fig. 3 adetail view inperspective and on an enlarged scale of the spring.

The present invention has relation to that class of trace fasteningsconsisting of a springactuated hook which engages with the usualeye-bolt upon the end of thewhiftle-tree whereby the end of trace issecurely held thereon. In some instances a coil spring was used andfrequently a flat spring to retain the pivoted hook in engagement withthe eye-bolt on the whiflie-tree. In the latter case which has beenfound the most desirable form of spring, it was necessary to rivet oneend of the spring, to the metal socket which fits over theend of theWhittle-tree, thereby greatly weakening the spring and as a consequencerenderingit liable to break from its fastenings, thus resulting in thecomplete destruction of the spring and rendering the device whollyuseless. It is the purpose of the present invention to remove thesediculties by providing means whereby the necessity of riveting thespring to hold it in place is removed, and by the peculiar constructionof the spring in connection with the means of holding it in place,increased strength is obtained and a greater amount of elasticity issecured, thus providing a device of this character that will bematerially enhanced in Value, as a more perfect action of the pivotedhook is obtained, and in strength and durability it possesses markedsuperiority over the trace-fastenings heretofore in common use. Theseseveral objects above enumerated are attained by the constructionsubstantially as shown in skill.

the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings A represents a metal socket which isslightly tapering and adapted to litV over the end of a Whittle-tree andproperly secured thereto, the outer end of the socket being closed andhas suitably connected to it an eye-bolt B of the usual construction.This eye-bolt may be of anysuitable shape and of any preferredconstruction and may be made with the socket or separately and afterwardsecured thereto, as shown, the socket, eye-bolt and the pivoted hookbeing susceptible of many changes and modifications without departingfrom the principle of our invention, and therefore we reserve the rightto make any such changes as would come within ordinary mechanical Thishook C which may be of any of the well known forms, when down as shownin full lines Fig. l, engages with the eye-bolt B, and when the end ofthe trace is slipped over the end of the eye-bolt, it will be securelyheld thereon by means of the hook. Now in order to avoid the necessityof riveting the usual fiat bow spring to the socket A as heretofore, adanged seat D is provided upon the upper side of the socket andthe seathas pivot lugs t to receive the pivot b, whereby the shank c of the hookis securely held between the lugs and forms a pivotal connectiontherewith. Now it will be seen that the seat D has anges e upon its foursides which prevent any lateral displacement of the spring and the endflanges act as stops to limit the longitudinal motion of the spring whenit is compressed by the pivoted end of the shank c. This flanged seatholds the spring in position Without the use of any rivets or otherfastenings which would materially weaken the spring and render it liableto break and thus render the device wholly useless.

The spring which is represented at E is in the shape of a bow spring andhas a body d of increased thickness to form a bearing for the end of theshank c of the hook, thereby compensating for frictionaLwear andremoving the danger of the spring weakening at that point.

It will be seen that every provision is made for securing both a strong,durable and suc- IOO cessfully operating device of this characterresting on the hanged-seat, substantially as without in any mannerincreasing the cost of and for the purpose set forth. manufacture. Intestimony that we claim the above we Having now fully described ourinvention, have hereunto subscribed our naines in the 15 5 what we claimas new, and desire to secui'eby presence of two Witnesses.

Letters Patent', is T In a trace-fasteniug, a socket having aneyegagging ESSI? boit and a seat having anges upon its four sides andpivot-lugs extending up therefrom, Witnesses: xo in combination with asuitable hook pivoted CLAYTON H. THOMAS,

between the lugs, and a bow spring loosely ABSALOM R. EARNEST.

